I got a 'love letter' via mail

"This is sooooooo depressing!!!!!!! It materializes even more the fact that you are leaving!! :( That means no more lovely lunches, no more lovely tapas dinners, or scandale wine dinners, or lets get drunk latino dinners (and I was hoping we would start those dinners again), and no more lovely gooooey swedish choccy cake (now that’s really depressing!). And no more wandering into your room when I need a chat or to clear my head, and no more admiring your lovely clothes every day like a fashion show! Ahhhhhhh I could go on! :(((

Lucky I still think ure coming back.---- well u had better!!! And geneva is small so we can still have work lunches when u r back :)"

Now, what does one say to that? :D

it's out!!!

I finally told my boss today, so it is now official, the reality, no way back - we now have to go travel!!!

Scary, fun, exciting, freaky, crazy, lovely, unreal, so so real...

The world, here we come :D

Caves ouvertes 2010

The fabulous 'caves ouvertes' event takes place on Saturday 29 May in the vineyards around Geneva this year.

Free wine tasting, super good atmosphere, something not to miss if you're around!

Cheers and enjoy!

'So, have you told your boss yet? '

Here I am, another day closer to departure, to my last day at work, to my big gap year. Another day when I started the day building up my courage to come in and talk to my boss to tell him about my plans, and another day passed without it being possible :(

I have long been hesitating when to talk with him. Back a year ago or so, when we set the month for departure to September, I was thinking to tell my boss at least 5 months in advance! To be nice so they have enough time to find a replacement, and to allow me to plan more openly.

Then this year started up and 5 months in advance finally sounded way too early!! So I settled on 4 months. But then realised it was best to wait until the first days in May, as the company then have to pay me at least until end of July, which is one month before when I want to leave - so ok.

Hence first week of May was the decision from my side, Friday to be exact. Friday, to then have the weekend to feel better in case the discussion went bad. Friday, as we can leave at 16 on Fridays and hence I could have gone for an early escape.

Friday morning I get into work and then spend the whole day trying to find a good moment to go in and talk to my boss. But he has one thing after another, and seems to be in a foul mood. My one colleague that knows my plans tells me to wait for another day when my boss will be in a happier mood. But I feel so pumped up that I persist.

However, as I go in and ask if he has a moment, I get told that actually he did not have time to speak with me, but 'how about Monday?'.

Hence all that mental preparation and stress for nothing. Just to go home and wait out the weekend, feeling more and more stressed, not really arriving to relax, irritated, dreaming nightmares about spiders and sharks (my 2 biggest phobias) and in general not very happy nor very motivated about traveling as first I have to tackle this big obstacle.

But Monday it is! So another mental preparation yesterday over the phone with my mother, and then this morning by myself before coming in.

For what? For just another anticlimax as my boss is off sick today!

And tomorrow? Another day or anther disappointment?

Is this not supposed to happen? Am I not supposed to tell him in advance but wait until the 2 months notice that I have to give? Or am I not supposed to go on this trip? What are all these omens? Should I read something into the fact that I do not manage to speak to my boss, that I dream about spiders and sharks - 2 things that I might very well have to face during my trip (especially the spiders, big, fat, hairy ones on that)...

Well, screw the omens! I am set to leave for this year-long travel, for this experience of a lifetime, and I am going to talk to my boss, all omens put aside!!

Well, as long as he one day comes back to the office that is....

Wish me luck!

What day is today?

Do you know what day it is today? Or rather what month we have entered?

Yes, of course you do, you think. The month is May, and the day, well the 3rd.

But that is where you are wrong!! Or, not wrong per see, but wrong for 'me' :)

For me, today means that I have less than 4 months left at work (although, they think I'll grow old here still), and just a few days more than 4 months left before departure!!!!!!!!!

4 months, I hear you say! Well, 4 months is nothing some of you will think - "how come you still have not been to get vaccinations, where is your departure flight booking, how come your apartment is still full to the ceiling with stuff that you really need to get ride of or at least pack away? And who will take over the apartment once you leave? How about banking systems while you're away? And how come you have not yet told your boss? And who will feed the cat?!"

Well, 4 months is a 'lifetime' some some others will think. "What is the stress about? All that needs to be done can be done in a month. Heck, less than a month. That's what I did, before setting off with a 5 kilo, 25 liters backpack for 3 years of walking around the earth. And screw the cat, it can feed itself!" :)

As for me, 4 months feels both like an eternity - it will never come - and as "panic, panic, 4 months is practically tomorrow and I have 2-years worth of things to do before I leave!!! Btw, where is that damn cat - I haven't seen it for months!"

On the one hand, I have finally kind of decided where to start the trip (in Cuba, although my doubts were raised again yesterday - but more about that in a later post), and we have decided where to meet up (in Costa Rica) - well, most probably. Hence, I can now start looking for flight tickets, Spanish language schools, the first accommodation, and draft my travel plan (to be amended a thousand times during the trip I fear / hope). We have looked at backpacks and, although not yet decided, I have at least 2 that I like. I have my trekking shoes, and most of the money needed for the trip. And I am planning to speak to my boss on Friday!!!!

On the other hand, I'm a nervous wreck! I'm about to speak to my boss, in just a few days, and give up my indeterminate contract! Half of my friends think that I'm crazy - how can I even think about leaving a safe, sure employment, where I'm well treated with a good salary and quite good prospects, especially as it is so so difficult to find a new job, and will be even more difficult after 'playing' for one full year! Luckily the other half is more understanding :)

I'm about to take off in just a few months to travel the world with only a backpack!!! This for a girl who owns perhaps 50 pairs of shoes/boots, 40 handbags, and a million clothes! From about 6 wardrobes full of stuff to one small backpack of 50 or 55 liters, weighing maximum 12-13 kilos. Quite a chock!

I'm about to take off to go into countries whose best features, according to the travel guide, besides beautiful rain-forests and loads of nature, are HUGE SPIDERS! Did I ever mention that I am a complete and utter Arachnophobe? To such an extent that I once almost killed myself trying to kill a 'big' one for Swiss standard. One that will probably look like the baby of the baby of one of the monsters I will encounter on my trip.... (goosebumps all over my body just thinking about it).

I'm about to take off, leave everything behind and finally live my dream!!!!!!!!!!!! It's scary, it's wonderful, it's insane, it's a dream come true, it's my life and my choice.

(For the cat lovers out there: don't worry, no cat was harmed in writing this story. And I'm sure the cat will feed itself, or perhaps I should bring it along and it can feed on huge spiders... )

The Backpack!!! Supposedly one of the two most important gear for The Trip

Today we spent most of the day looking at backpacks for The Trip (by the way, did anyone else realise that there are only 4.5 months left as of today??), walking for what felt like ages, spending more than 2 hours in one shop, before finally coming home and dying in the sofa.

How will we walk for full days once on the trip?
And how will I carry a backpack for several hours, when my lower back started hurting after 10 minutes with a pack only weighing 3 kilos?
And did anyone actually understand what the movie 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' was all about???? We for sure did not!

Anyway, this post was supposed to be about backpacks.

So, we have not yet made our choices. But out of the ones I have tried so far (a couple a few months ago, and 5, I think, today), these 2 are my clear favorites at the moment:

The 'Deuter Traveller SL 55 + 10 L'




















The Traveller is 55 litres plus 10 liters in the removable Daypack, 3 kilos heavy and light grey. Its advantages is that the Daypack is a lot better, smarter constructed, with ventilated back, hooks to hang it from the front of the main pack, and Camelbag drink-system. And well the 55 litres is bigger, and the material a bit sturdier.


And the 'Deuter Transit 50 L'



















The Transit is 50 litres plus a 12 litre removable Daypack, 2.2 kilos, and the one in the shop is dark green. The Daypack is not as nice, but the main pack's advantages is that it is lighter - allowing me 800g of other stuff compared to the Traveller, it is almost 100 chf cheaper, and well it's smaller - but that means it will force me to pack lighter.

Any comments on which one to go for? Or other suggestions?

I want around 55 litres, as light as possible, no wheels, with hidden straps for flying.

One of the two most difficult choices so far...